A Girl for the Fifth Wheel
by katcake
Summary: Theres a new Girl in gryffindor .. Romance sparks up between her and fifth wheel Owen Manning, Scottish friend to the Trio and Ginny.


Owen and Katrina

Chapter 1

Owen gave his parents one last wave, grabbed his brother by the elbow and pulled him on board. He wasn't in a good mood; they'd only just made it in time for the damned train because of his idiotic brother. Without another word, he left Oliver standing in the middle of the train and went to find his friends.

He was grim when he finally found them at the end of the train. They were all chattering happily, circled around someone. Not one for uncomfortable formalities, Owen tossed a brief "hi," in their direction before flopping down. They all answered absentmindedly. His mood wasn't justified though, and he knew it. It was irritation with everything. Not just his brother. He was worried about his N.E.W.T.S this year, he needed grades higher than somebody aiming to be an auror; he was also worried about the looming war, about his friends and family; he was irritated with his brother, and although he was surrounded by four crazy friends, and his family, he felt rather alone.

"Alright Owie?" Ron Weasley came up to sit beside him, and Owen winced at the embarrassing nickname.

"Great," Owen said. He tried for the innocent look and failed when Ron threw him the "do you think I'm stupid" look. He decided to change the subject.

"Who's that?" he asked, pointing to where his friends were still circled. He was rather annoyed that he couldn't see anything but the back of her head.

"Katrina Sanderson, transfer from Durmstrang," Ron told him, "her step-father's Scottish." Ron nudged him with raised eyebrows. Owen just grinned; he was Scottish.

"She nice though?" he asked. Ron shrugged.

"Bit like Hermione, bookish, mouth like Ginny though," Ron chuckled and raised an eyebrow, "come meet her for yourself mate." Owen shook his head and pulled out a tattered novel out of his backpack.

When Ron rejoined the group, Owen sneaked a peek. They were beginning to disperse. Hermione grabbed the new girl and pulled her over to him. Owen looked and up and his breath caught. He felt his heart squeeze. She was gorgeous; Long dark brown hair, slightly wavy; Hazel eyes; a stunning smile with dimples on both sides.

"Hi, I'm Kat Sanderson, you must be Owen Manning," he flashed a smile at her and nodded.

"I am, nice to meet you," and what shocked him to the very core- he meant it.

She beamed and went back to sit next to Hermione. Owen was mesmerized. His bad mood quickly evaporated, and he spent the whole trip glancing at her. He was actually rather shocked that he was attracted to her. He was completely sure that when Ron or Harry saw her they saw a regular girl with brown hair and brown eyes.

But she wasn't regular. Her eyes had tiny flecks of gold and green. Her hair had one random strand lighter. She was adorable, short and stunning. Owen tried to pull him himself out of it but couldn't, and didn't see why he should. And after hours of staring, he finally jumped to his senses, when he caught Ginny looking at him and Katrina with a very mischievous grin plastered to her face.

"We'd better change," Hermione said, and they all automatically glanced out the window, where it had grown dark.

Katrina was sorted into Gryffindor, and she was seated in front of him. Her face flushed with excitement. His body stirred whenever she looked at him with that brilliant smile of hers. He was actually scared of what was happening, mainly because he had absolutely no control.

Once they finished eating, Owen realized how exhausted he felt. He could barely keep his eyes open for Dumbledore's speech. Not listening, he watched Katrina. She was still flushed, listening carefully. Every so often she'd turn and ask Hermione something.

When Dumbledore finally let them go, Head Boy and Head Girl Ron and Hermione left them and Katrina was shunned to his side. She blushed when her arm brushed his and cleared her throat.

"You're going to have to show me the way," she said.

Owen grinned, "Yeah, I am,"

Together they pushed though the hoards of people and dashed up the stairs. Owen grabbed her arm and pulled her though the crowd. They climbed up the seven flights of stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. Katrina didn't say anything about his hand on her arm, so he left it there. When they finally got to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Owen blanched and then fell apart laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" she asked, a grin playing on her lips. Owen clutched his stomach and stopped, or tried to more like.

"Don't know the password!" he pushed out. Katrina started laughing, honestly not knowing why she found it funny, and blamed the exhaustion.

"That's not even funny!" she said through her own fit of giggles.

Owen stopped laughing and looked at her.

"I know," he said, they both looked at each other for a fraction of a second before bursting into laughter again.

"I'm just going to wait am I?" the Fat Lady sneered. Kat jumped, tears were falling. Ignoring the fact that she'd never seen a painting talk, she stood up straight, "Yes ma'am, you're going to have to," Owen groaned as the fit continued.

"Oh dear, you're pissed aren't you?" the Fat Lady seemed to think she could get anything from them...

"What is going on here?" Both of them froze and looked up. Hermione was standing there with fifty first years, looking bewildered, behind her.

The giggles stopped, the look on Hermione's face actually had the power to do that. They straightened up, guilty looks on their faces.

"Fairy Wings," Hermione told the Fat Lady, who appreciatively nodded and swung open. Katrina looked at Owen and clutched his arm, "that's the password," they both snorted and practically choked themselves trying not to laugh. They waited until all the kids had walked in before letting out their final giggles and walking in to face a very somber Hermione.

"May I ask what the bloody hell you two were laughing so hysterically about?" she asked once the kids were safely in their dorms.

"We didn't know the password," Owen answered. Hermione shot him a look.

"It's true," Katrina piped up.

"Yeah, because not knowing the password is quite possibly the best joke I've heard all year," Hermione said. They both bit their lips.

"We're sorry," they said, smiled were threatening to break out again.

Hermione huffed and went up to her private Head Girl dorm. Kat gave Owen one look and the laughs started up again, and both knew that this time it had nothing to do with the Fat Lady and everything to do with their crazy friend.

"Double potions first thing??" Ron cried. They were all whining except Ginny, who was perfectly happy with her double charms.

"At least we're all together," Owen answered. He glanced at Kat's schedule and was glad to see that she had everything with his, and she had her own Muggle studies class.

Hermione was still angry at Owen, not so much with Kat, who was probably wishing she was angry at her since she was now lecturing her ear off.

Once in potions, Snape placed Hermione with Owen and Ron with Kat. He paired Harry up with Malfoy as usual.

Owen groaned when Hermione banged her books onto the table and flopped into the seat.

"Louder I beg you; Snape's table didn't rattle enough!" Owen said.

"You be quiet," she snapped.

"Why on earth are you so angry? It can't be because we were laughing Hermione," he was starting to get annoyed himself.

Hermione didn't answer.

"Or is it because she was actually having fun with me?" Hermione glared at him.

"What are you implying Owen?"

"Nothing, I'm just saying it was the girl's first day here, I'm not sorry she had a little fun," Owen said. He pulled out the ingredients they needed and threw them on the table, "just forget it Hermione, she had a good time, you're not her mother, you should have been laughing with us."

Hermione said nothing and pulled a root towards her to chop.

"You like her?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, she's nice," he answered.

"No, I mean you fancy her," it wasn't a question this time and Owen felt himself heat up slightly.

"I think so," he muttered.

He glanced over at Ron's table where they were both smiling and working.

"She's beautiful," he said.

"I've never seen you like this Owen," Hermione said. He stared at his table.

"Yeah, well I've never been like this."

Katrina got up and walked to the cabinet to get extra ingredients. Owen watched her walk and didn't notice until it was too late that Hermione had followed her, eyes shining with mischief.

Owen watched, trying and failing to read lips. Katrina glanced at him, her face red, and Owen suddenly became very interested in his cauldron.

When Katrina walked back to her seat, Owen lowered his head and banged it on the table. When Hermione walked over to him, he glared at her.

"Watch me tell you anything again," he said.

Hermione just looked smug.


End file.
